Chapter 23:

As he carefully placed Murkrow on the ground, Cain reached for his potion of healing. He sprayed it tenderly over the dark bird's wounds, one by one, a cool sensation spreading over the injuries before the disinfectant kicked in, causing a burst of pain. Murkrow let out a hiss, unsure if it was one of comfort or irritation as the potion flowed freely, emptying the bottle completely.

Gradually, the bird felt his strength returning and, after a helping of nourishing pokeblocks, he rose to his feet once more.

Cain firmly held Murkrow back, not allowing him to take flight just yet. He picked him up, feeling the weight of the injured creature in his arms as he made his way towards the border of the Butterfree and Beedrill territory. The air was thick with tragedy as they approached, Beedrills and Butterfrees lay dead, scattered across the ground and amidst the trees and bushes. The Beedrill swarm had begun with an advantage in numbers but as more and more Butterfrees returned from their various locations to join the fray, the tide began to turn. With the Butterfree leader still standing and the Beedrill leader nowhere to be found, the Beedrill's fate seemed sealed.

The normally docile Butterfrees had become filled with rage at the sight of their fallen comrades and refused to back down, resulting in even more injuries and deaths. And as Murkrow defeated the Beedrill leader, something shifted within the Beedrills. The state of blessedness they had felt was suddenly gone, leaving them stunned and confused. They let out a deafening roar, completely oblivious of the situation around them, as they sensed the loss of their leader.

When a king falls, his subjects are left in shambles, and such was the case with the Beedrills. They charged forward recklessly, hoping to break through the Butterfree defenses, but it was to no avail. More and more of them fell into madness but a few of the stronger Beedrills called out to their comrades, jolting them out of their frenzied state. Their hearts were heavy but a glimmer of hope returned to their eyes as they retreated, led by a few of their own.

The Beedrills had come with a vengeance, but now they returned with less than a hundred survivors. Had anyone been paying attention, they would have noticed an enigmatic aura gradually enveloping one Beedrill in particular, the one guiding the rest of its kin to safety.

This enigmatic aura was the prototype of a leader's aura, which appears when all the members of a group are united and have strong cohesion. When the aura condenses to a certain level, it transforms completely into the leadership ability.

The Butterfrees also returned, their wings heavy with the weight of the remains of their fallen comrades, and thus ended the tragic battle between the two colonies.

It took Murkrow more than three hours to recover from the effects of Roost, even with the aid of pokeblocks, and he continued to rest his body at Cain's request.

By the time the sun rose again, Murkrow was fully recovered. Cain prepared breakfast under the tree, while the enthusiastic Murkrow, with two logs tied to his wings, soared through the sky, circling the great tree several times.

Cain and Murkrow both realized how fragile their bodies were during yesterday's final battle with the Beedrill leader. So after learning Wing Attack, Murkrow tried to develop his wings even more.

Murkrow's body felt a bit stronger after leveling up. He used to get tired after flying a hundred rounds, but today he had enough energy to fly another hundred. Murkrow resumed his training after taking a short break and consuming some pokeblocks prepared by Cain. After untying the wood from his wings, he stood on the ground and began pounding them against the great tree.

Cain joined in the training after eating his breakfast, first running a few laps around the hill, then doing sit-ups and push-ups. After a morning of training, a man and his Pokemon lay exhausted on their backs, looking up at the blue sky and feeling both physically and mentally relaxed.

Since it was already the sixth day, Cain and Murkrow began their journey back to Team Rocket's base after their lunch break.

As Cain crossed the border between the territories of the Butterfree and the Beedrill, he felt a sense of horror wash over him. He never could have imagined that his actions would have led to such a devastating war between the two colonies, leaving the forest in ruins and Beedrill corpses littering the ground. The devastation was palpable, and it was clear that both sides had suffered heavy losses in the conflict.

As he walked through the Butterfree territory, Cain couldn't help but notice the absence of the Metapods that had once been a common sight, as well as the lack of Butterfrees fluttering about. It was a somber reminder of the cruel nature of this world, where strength is the only currency and compassion is a luxury few can afford. Cain had long ago given up on such sentimentality, choosing instead to show kindness only to those he considered true friends and his Pokemon.

When they reached the Beedrill territory, the familiarity was still there, but the once-lively forest now seemed empty and desolate, with no Kakunas to be seen in the trees.

"I hope you have the foresight not to bother me," Cain muttered under his breath.

Given the state of the Beedrill colony, Cain held no illusions about their current state. Without their leader, the Beedrills were nothing more than a loose pile of sand for Murkrow to knock down one by one. The forest that had once been a perilous crossing was now easily traversed by Cain and Murkrow without incident, not a single Beedrill to be encountered on the entire journey, as if they had all gone into hiding.

As they journeyed on, signs of Pokemon began to appear again. The way back was almost identical to the one they had taken, and as they passed the spot where they had fought the treasure-hunting trio, the original signs of the battle were almost non-existent, with only a few bloodstains visible on the ground.

As Cain passed by the Zubat Cave, he carefully stowed away all the items he had left within its depths into his storage belt. He had set out for a quick excursion but had ended up staying several days longer than he had intended. Though the cave was located on the border between the periphery and the heart of the forest, the level of Pokemon in the area was so low that it could no longer meet Murkrow's needs. Though there were no signs of Pokemon activity within the cave, there were footprints outside, leading Cain to believe that the Pokemon were likely deterred by the presence of the Zubats who had once called the cave home. Otherwise, the berries he had stored in the cave would have been taken.

He knew that in a few days' time, the hesitant Pokemon would be tempted to explore the Zubat cave, and it wouldn't be long before the area became the territory of another Pokemon.

With their belongings sorted and packed, Cain and Murkrow set off without a backward glance at the cave. It was just another stop on their journey, one that wouldn't leave a lasting impression or be missed. Like Purgatory Island, it was a temporary pitstop, perhaps an important one, but certainly not the most significant.

The fact that Team Rocket had been able to gather so many children on this hidden island and conduct their so-called Trials was a testament to the island's treacherous nature. Though none of the Pokemon on the island were particularly powerful, their talents were generally higher than those found elsewhere.

Outside, one might encounter a Pokemon with a green aptitude only once in every ten thousand Pokemon encountered, but here on the island, Cain had already encountered two green-aptitude Pokemon in just one Beedrill colony. Even the yellow and orange-aptitude Pokemon were more commonplace. And this was likely just one of the many hidden islands under Team Rocket's control.

As his thoughts drifted, Cain returned to Team Rocket's base before sunset, with Murkrow by his side. The base before him appeared like a large, cannibalistic mouth, ready to devour anyone who entered, and Cain's grip on the Weedle egg tightened. He knew that the secrets of this island were not meant for the likes of him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to discover.